Meet: Bristol’s Post-Punk Specialists Saloon Dion


Seren Carys

They sound like a beastie boys cover band playing Robbie Williams songs at a wedding, and want to support the Vengaboys in a fish and chip shop. Bristol’s Saloon Bar are a band we all need to know.

Give us a potted history of the band

We’ve been a band for almost two years now, 5th of May 2021 we started out, it all came from post gig ramblings in Bristol really. At the minute we’re working on loads of new music and we hope to share that with everybody this year!

We’re proud of our live shows, and how everybody gets involved! It’s nice to share the performance with a crowd that’s on a level with you.

Who inspired you to start making music

Well we all used to play in bands in Bristol before we started this one, I think what inspired us was the friendships we’d built with each other from our previous projects (Football FC, Kimbo Nice, Ratbags) 

And the one or two records that inspired you artistically

It’s always hard to pick, I suppose with this new stuff we’ve been channeling a lot of Britpop, so I’ll throw Blurs 2nd record Modern Life is Rubbish and (my personal favourite) Suede by Suede into the mix 

If you’re trying to explain whom you sound like to someone that’s never heard you, what do you say

Live we sound like a beastie boys cover band playing Robbie Williams songs at a wedding 

Tell us about your new track

I Don’t Feel is our first self released track, we just wanted to find our own way after having a lot of indie labels involved from the start 

It’s meaning;

‘I Don’t Feel’ is a song about being reluctant to seek help from others. What it isn’t, is a song about having no feeling, but more of choosing what to feel and when to feel it. It speaks of the barriers we all put up to protect ourselves, no matter the damage they may do in the long run.

Where can we get hold of it  

There’s a great video on YouTube, you can download it from our bandcamp or stream it in the usual places 

Tell us how you write

We all go to a room in Chepstow and write everything together, our drummers dad is a proper old school rocker so he’s usually the inspo

Tell us about your live show What would be your dream gig

They’re chaotic and usually get a little out of hand. Dream gig would be supporting the vengaboys in a fish and chip shop

What can we expect from you in the near future

More music, more shows, maybe even some home cooked veggie sausage rolls 

Tell us your favourite records that are rocking your headphones/tour bus/stereo

Well our bassist just plays that new Sam Smith song, Unholy constantly. And he sometimes plays that Linkin Park album with Jay Z, but that’s it.

Find out more via the band’s Facebook

Check out the band’s track Hey Hey, below:

Live Dates

1st Feb – Portland Arms, Cambridge*
3rd Feb – Face Bar, Reading*
4th Feb – Boileroom, Guildford*
5th Feb – Moles, Bath*
17th Feb – The Cluny, Newcastle
18th Feb – Exchange, Bristol
24th Feb – The Old Blue Last, London
13th-19th Mar – SXSW
16th Apr – Outer Town Festival, Bristol

* supporting Pip Blom

Previous Premiere: 'Chewie Loves...' the new video for the song from The High Kicks - an effervescent blast from legends David McCormack (Custard) and Chad Jane (Burgers of Beef).
Next Track: Saloon Dion - I Don't Feel

2 Comments

  1. […] Meet: Bristol’s Post-Punk Specialists Saloon Dion […]

  2. […] Read our interview with the band here […]

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